I've got one of these brushes on the way. I can't wait to play with a new toy.
Bought C&E $35 brush....
- Thread starter dax702
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- #22
I use the $35 C&E and get excellent lather, I have used at least 10-15 different creams with it, and they all work great.
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- #24
dax702 said:I hope you have better results than I did the first time. I was expecting gobs and gobs of lather but it didn't compare to the $5 burma shave brush.. I'll give it another try when my irritation goes away
You will get gobs of lather after you refine your technique. Patience is a virtue.
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- #26
Well I had more success just now and got quite a bit of lather out of the Palmolive cream. I figured out the problem - Using a coffee mug simply doesn't work (not enough swirling circumfierence?) so I went to the kitchen and got a more flat ceramic type dish. First I tried this caswell massey stuff I picked up and could not get any kind of lather out of it at all so I started to get pissed again (going to send that crap back). Then I tried the Palmolive in that dish and I had a mountain of lather so that was a first 
It was a little runny so I kept swirling and it fluffed up.
Then I figured I would try and shave with that mountain of lather that was overflowing the dish. That's when the problems set in. Because I shaved yesterday, the beard was hard and the razor just skipped along like a small school child and cut pretty much nothing although the beard IS there
Is it possible that some people simply cannot shave every day no matter what? I just put the balm on and I'm sandpaper man yet again. In order to get any type of decent shave whether it be with the DE, the mach3, or an electric, I have to wait a good 3 days for the beard to come in long enough and soft enough for any kind of blade (thus far) to cut it.
I've been at wet shaving now for exactly two months Sure wish I had a bazillion dollars so I could get all this god-for-saken face hair off me for good because shaving simply doesn't cut it. If the new Derby or Israeli blades don't help, then I think I'll be stuck with sandpaper face forever. 
It was a little runny so I kept swirling and it fluffed up.Then I figured I would try and shave with that mountain of lather that was overflowing the dish. That's when the problems set in. Because I shaved yesterday, the beard was hard and the razor just skipped along like a small school child and cut pretty much nothing although the beard IS there
Is it possible that some people simply cannot shave every day no matter what? I just put the balm on and I'm sandpaper man yet again. In order to get any type of decent shave whether it be with the DE, the mach3, or an electric, I have to wait a good 3 days for the beard to come in long enough and soft enough for any kind of blade (thus far) to cut it.
I've been at wet shaving now for exactly two months
Sure wish I had a bazillion dollars so I could get all this god-for-saken face hair off me for good because shaving simply doesn't cut it. If the new Derby or Israeli blades don't help, then I think I'll be stuck with sandpaper face forever. 
dax,
No product is going to magically transform your shaves. If you are looking for the quick fix, you will not be happy here. Because of the intricacies of the techniques necessary to become an accomplished wet shaver, it must be viewed as more of a marathon and less of a sprint. Before spending any more money on this method of shaving, you should really ask yourself if wet shaving can satisfy your expectations.
No product is going to magically transform your shaves. If you are looking for the quick fix, you will not be happy here. Because of the intricacies of the techniques necessary to become an accomplished wet shaver, it must be viewed as more of a marathon and less of a sprint. Before spending any more money on this method of shaving, you should really ask yourself if wet shaving can satisfy your expectations.
Kyle said:
Agreed. Technique is everything with DE shaving, one day it'll click and you'll never look back. Ok, you have good shaves, Excellent shaves and the occasional bad shave but the DE route is the most rewarding shaving experience short of going at your face with a cut throat.
dax702 said:
As your technique improves you will be able to shave every day and it'll be a pleasure.
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- #29
I'm not looking for a quick fix, and I don't really consider 2 months, quick anyhow.. So I have the good razor, the good brush, good cream. And I follow the directions for wetshaving too. So the only missing part of the equation as I see it is the blade, something that actually cuts short stubble. So until then, I won't complain.. But overall I have to stick with wetshaving if only for the no irritation part of it. It's not half as close as the electric but the electric caused a lottt of irritation and redness. So for now I have to settle with a scratchy face and no irritation. Go with the grunge look lol
dax702 said:
Have you had a blade sampler from letterk?
Dax (I must have missed your name),
As with anything worthwhile, it will take time, practice and patience to get it right. Something as seemingly simple as whipping up lather and shaving has subteties that you can't appreciate without the benefit of time. So, here are my suggestions to you:
As with anything worthwhile, it will take time, practice and patience to get it right. Something as seemingly simple as whipping up lather and shaving has subteties that you can't appreciate without the benefit of time. So, here are my suggestions to you:
- Ditch the CM stuff - it is junk
- Work on your prep. Make sure your whiskers are as soft as possible by shaving after a shower and/or using a warm towel
- Play with the cream/water ratio. Often too little cream will lead to a poor shave. Remember that even an el cheapo cream like Palmolive will whip up huge amounts of lather with a tiny amount of cream. Will it shave well like that? No. Try a bit more and see how that goes
- Remember that you will not get a smooth shave with one pass. You will need multiple passes at multiple angles to get that ultimate smooth shave. There is lots of info on this board about techniques. Take a look and ask questions
- I would highly recommend you try some other creams beside Palmolive. As previously mentioned, Proraso is great stuff and is readily available at places like Target
Dax,
I'd heartily second all of the advice above, especially:
get rid of the creams you're currently using and get something that is widely acknowledged as a good latherer--Proraso would be my choice.
get the blade sampler from Letterk--or at least some Derbys to start with--if its a problem getting them where you are I'd be happy to send you a pack or 2 to get started with--PM for an address
as Kyle suggested--relax.
Now, I know the last thing someone who is frustrated wants to hear is that they need to relax, but I suspect that you are so focused on getting an absolutely perfect shave that you are unable to enjoy the "experience" of wet shaving. Given the proper equipment--which you have in large part--and proper technique, good shaves will come. It is possible, though, that you have unrealistic expectations for the whole enterprise. A good wet shave routine *should* result in smoother and healthier skin, but not a glass like visage (that was for you, Ron!) every time out of the chute.
Hang in there, and congratulations on making a great lather with the Palmolive! Lots of guys have not been able to do that this early in the game.
I'd heartily second all of the advice above, especially:
get rid of the creams you're currently using and get something that is widely acknowledged as a good latherer--Proraso would be my choice.
get the blade sampler from Letterk--or at least some Derbys to start with--if its a problem getting them where you are I'd be happy to send you a pack or 2 to get started with--PM for an address
as Kyle suggested--relax.
Now, I know the last thing someone who is frustrated wants to hear is that they need to relax, but I suspect that you are so focused on getting an absolutely perfect shave that you are unable to enjoy the "experience" of wet shaving. Given the proper equipment--which you have in large part--and proper technique, good shaves will come. It is possible, though, that you have unrealistic expectations for the whole enterprise. A good wet shave routine *should* result in smoother and healthier skin, but not a glass like visage (that was for you, Ron!) every time out of the chute.Hang in there, and congratulations on making a great lather with the Palmolive! Lots of guys have not been able to do that this early in the game.
dax702 said:
Dax:
What blade are you using? You may have hit on the problem as I can get great results from some blades and terrible results from others. If you've already been doing this for two months, try a Feather blade and see how it works for you. In my opinion, it's the best blade by far!
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- #34
Dax,
I'm new to this as well (almost the same amount of time). I just purchased the same brush as you yesterday. After two attempts I got a really nice lather that really improved my shave. I also asked about having to take shaving breaks to get the best possible shave (see my post in the general forum). I can offer any really good advice except that you should try some Taylor's shave cream. For 13 bucks you can get a tub which from my estimates will last 3 months or so with daily shaves. It whips up really well using Joel's instructions.
Also C&E sells several brushes for 35 bucks. I'm wondering if maybe you bought a travel brush and that this might be slowing your progress (others can speak to this much better than I).
In any case I just switched from a boar brush and not only does this lather better after some practice, but the real benefit is what it does to your face. It feels great and it keeps more water on your face giving me (at least) a better shave. Keep at it man.
I'm new to this as well (almost the same amount of time). I just purchased the same brush as you yesterday. After two attempts I got a really nice lather that really improved my shave. I also asked about having to take shaving breaks to get the best possible shave (see my post in the general forum). I can offer any really good advice except that you should try some Taylor's shave cream. For 13 bucks you can get a tub which from my estimates will last 3 months or so with daily shaves. It whips up really well using Joel's instructions.
Also C&E sells several brushes for 35 bucks. I'm wondering if maybe you bought a travel brush and that this might be slowing your progress (others can speak to this much better than I).
In any case I just switched from a boar brush and not only does this lather better after some practice, but the real benefit is what it does to your face. It feels great and it keeps more water on your face giving me (at least) a better shave. Keep at it man.
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- #37
Hi, I did see the travel brushes, but no, I got the right one that they told me about. The problem I was having with the lathering was solved when I stopped using a coffee mug and switched so something with a bigger surface area.. One thing I noticed about the C&E was that after I was able to get a good lather, it didn't want to come off the brush and onto my face when I tried to brush it on unlike the burma shave brush..
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- #38
The reason the cream leaves the boar and not the badger (i think) is because the softer bristles allow the cream to get in the brush. Maybe you are being a little too gentle with the badger brush because you were trained on the boar. I was doing that. Now I really push the brush a bit on my face, and while i'm not perfect I get an opaque lather on my face that gives me a great shave.
I also have an HD with merkur blades and I'm having a great experience (I saw your post on your HD). I think you just need to practice the technique a little more and you'll get really good shaves. Somewhere on this forum there is a four pass technique that was really helfpul. Also be careful with blade angle as I'm noticing that makes a big difference with me. Also as everyone says watch the amount of pressure you apply.
I also have an HD with merkur blades and I'm having a great experience (I saw your post on your HD). I think you just need to practice the technique a little more and you'll get really good shaves. Somewhere on this forum there is a four pass technique that was really helfpul. Also be careful with blade angle as I'm noticing that makes a big difference with me. Also as everyone says watch the amount of pressure you apply.
I lather directly onto my face with the C&E, as opposed to a bowl, etc. and it is fantastic. I also second picking up some Proraso; you may have all your lathering problems disappear!
